PRSSA News Tag - Waynesburg Universityhttp://www.waynesburg.edu/blog/latest
Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:01:32 -0400Joomla! - Open Source Content Managementen-gbBayles receives first place in national PR scholarship competitionhttp://www.waynesburg.edu/blog/bayles-receives-first-place-in-national-pr-scholarship-competition
http://www.waynesburg.edu/blog/bayles-receives-first-place-in-national-pr-scholarship-competitionWaynesburg University’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Chapter president Megan Bayles recently received first place in a national public relations scholarship competition.

Bayles, a junior public relations major from Carmichaels, Pa., is the first student from Southwestern Pennsylvania to have received the Betsy Plank PRSSA Scholarship. The award is granted annually to three public relations students who demonstrate dedication to the field, practical experience, academic excellence and proven leadership.

“This scholarship award is one of the most distinguished student awards given by PRSSA,” said Richard Krause, chair of the Department of Communication, assistant professor of communication and faculty adviser to the PRSSA Chapter. “This award affirms all that Megan has accomplished in our chapter in a very short period of time.”

Winners were recently announced at the PRSSA National Conference in Washington, D.C. For first place, Bayles received a $5,000 award.

“The entire event felt surreal. I was happy, excited, proud and honored, all at the same time,” Bayles said. “Since discovering all of the PRSSA scholarship opportunities and joining Waynesburg's Chapter, it has been my goal to apply for and win one of these prestigious awards.”

Betsy Plank was the first woman to lead the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) President in 1973. She was chair of the U.S. Section of International Public Relations Association and co-chaired the 1987 commission to develop guidelines for the undergraduate public relations curriculum in U.S. colleges and universities.

“Betsy Plank is an inspiration to all aspiring public relations professionals, especially women,” Bayles said. “To have been awarded the opportunity to help carry on her amazing legacy is such a blessing.”

Upon graduation from Waynesburg University, Bayles hopes to work in corporate public relations and obtain a Master’s degree in a communication-related field.

“It is especially gratifying to achieve this accomplishment in consecutive years given we have just begun our fifth year as a chapter,” said Richard Krause, chair of the Department of Communication and faculty adviser to Waynesburg’s Chapter of PRSSA. “We are well ahead of the long-term goals and objectives that we established for the public relations major and the PRSSA chapter when we first started the process.”

The Public Relations Student Society of America National Committee evaluates the performance of PRSSA chapters and awards the recognition to chapters that meet at least eight of the following 10 requirements:

Conduct a high school outreach session and/or promote Affiliate membership to a nearby community college

Confirm attendance by at least one Chapter member at National Conference, National Assembly, a Regional Conference or Leadership Rally

Confirm that at least one Chapter member applies for an individual National PRSSA scholarship or award

Confirm that the Chapter applied for at least one national PRSSA award

Extend an invitation to students/faculty from other disciplines to attend at least one Chapter meeting

Gain positive attention for the Chapter in at least one campus or community publication or other media

Give attention to ethics in at least one chapter meeting

Initiate and complete at least one community service project

Strengthen the Chapter’s relationship with its Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) sponsor chapter

In just its fifth year of existence, Waynesburg’s Chapter of PRSSA is one of 328 schools nationally associated with PRSSA, the student counterpart of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Waynesburg’s Chapter was one of 31 from around the country honored with Star Chapter status.

“This recognition means that our Chapter is one of the best in the nation,” said Megan Bayles, junior public relations major and the president of Waynesburg’s Chapter of PRSSA. “This award shows that we are doing things right, and we are offering our members all of the opportunities needed to succeed in the fast-paced world of public relations.”

Bayles added that receiving the Star Chapter Award reflects the hard work and dedication of the Chapter’s members and executive board.

“Gaining the honor of Star Chapter is not an easy feat to accomplish,” said Bayles. “It takes motivated members with innovative ideas and strong work ethics as well as strong and active leadership from advisers and our executive board. I feel so blessed to be part of a chapter with such great potential and such amazing members.”

The Chapter’s next goals are to apply for the Dr. F.H. Teahan Chapter Awards sponsored by PRSSA as well as to obtain National Affiliation for the Chapter’s student-run firm, Red Brick Communications.

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Ashley Wise, Senior Writer/Editor

724.852.7675 or awise@waynesburg.edu

]]>mit3036@student.waynesburg.edu (Jordan Mitrik)NewsThu, 23 Oct 2014 10:31:13 -0400Scholarly Achievements - Communicationhttp://www.waynesburg.edu/blog/scholarly-achievements-communication
http://www.waynesburg.edu/blog/scholarly-achievements-communicationWaynesburg University’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) was awarded the Star Chapter Award for meeting specific chapter and professional development goals. The chapter was one of 27 from around the country honored with the prestigious award. A chapter must meet eight of the 10 Star Chapter requirements to earn the national award.

Seven members of the Waynesburg University Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Chapter traveled to the PNC Park Hall of Fame Club in Pittsburgh, Pa., Tuesday, Jan. 28, to work the 2014 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Pittsburgh Renaissance Awards. The annual ceremony celebrates the brightest stars and best work in Pittsburgh’s public relations community.

Sándor Mécs, a senior communication (journalism) major at Waynesburg University, traveled to the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., to present at the 28th annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) Thursday, April 3 through Saturday, April 5, 2014. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native presented his paper titled, “Burnham's Managerial Revolution: The Unexamined Reality of Contemporary Class Conflict.”

Waynesburg University’s student newspaper, the Yellow Jacket, was recently named a regional winner in the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) annual awards contest for the Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper category.

Waynesburg University’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) held its fourth annual PR Week celebration Monday, April 7, through Friday, April 11, 2014. This week-long event recognizes the hard work and dedication public relations majors show within the field of public relations throughout the academic year.

Dr. Chad Sherman, assistant professor of communication, received the 2014 Lucas-Hathaway Teaching Excellence Award for a faculty member with a relatively recent history of teaching excellence.

WCTV, the Waynesburg University student television station, recently earned a bronze award from the 35th annual Telly Awards for its piece titled “The Buzz: November 11, 2013.” Waynesburg’s piece stood out among nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries.

From Friday, Oct. 25, through Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, members of Waynesburg University’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) traveled to Philadelphia to participate in the 2013 PRSSA National Conference: Foundation for Innovation, hosted by Drexel University.

Brandon Szuminsky was named Instructor of Communication at Waynesburg University in August of 2013. He received his B.A. and M.B.A. from Waynesburg University. In the summer of 2013, he waspublished within an edited anthology marking the 75th anniversary of the iconic “War of the Worlds” broadcast. Szuminsky co-authored “Mediating Misinformation: Hoaxes and the Digital Turn,” one of the chapters within “War of the Worlds to Social Media: Mediated Communication in Times of Crisis.”

Kyle Oland, a senior public relations major from Westminster, Md., and Nick Farrell, a senior sports broadcasting major from Lower Burrell, Pa., took home the second and third place prizes, respectively, at the annual Gertrude Gordon Contest conducted by the Women's Press Club of Pittsburgh.

Waynesburg University’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Chapter celebrated the public relations field with a week long event Monday, April 15 through Thursday, April 18, 2013. PR week celebrates the study of public relations by offering professional presentations, networking opportunities and activities relevant to the communication field.

The Waynesburg University Yellow Jacket won a Region One Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Award for its in-depth reporting of the University’s announcement of Mr. Doug Lee as president elect. Six members of the Yellow Jacket staff attended the Region 1 Spring Conference Friday, April 12 through Saturday, April 13, 2013 to accept the award.

Molly Winters, a junior public relations major, and Brittany Semco, a junior public relations and design major, traveled to Albuquerque, N.M., to represent Waynesburg University at the 2013 Public Relations Student Society of America National Assembly Thursday, April 4 through Sunday, April 7, 2013.

]]>smcclintock@waynesburg.edu (Samantha McClintock)AchievementsThu, 17 Jul 2014 10:49:00 -0400University’s PRSSA Chapter works regional awards ceremonyhttp://www.waynesburg.edu/blog/university-s-prssa-chapter-works-regional-awards-ceremony
http://www.waynesburg.edu/blog/university-s-prssa-chapter-works-regional-awards-ceremonySeven members of the Waynesburg University Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Chapter traveled to the PNC Park Hall of Fame Club in Pittsburgh, Pa., Tuesday, Jan. 28, to work the 2014 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Pittsburgh Renaissance Awards. The annual ceremony celebrates the brightest stars and best work in Pittsburgh’s public relations community.

The students arrived before the event began and assisted with set up, schedule review and prep work. During the ceremony, students managed the registration table, communicating with more than 180 public relations practitioners from the Pittsburgh area. Members were also responsible for handing out the awards to the winners.

“Having the opportunity to help plan and execute the Renaissance Awards with our parent Chapter is invaluable,” said Molly Winters, junior public relations major and the president of Waynesburg University’s PRSSA Chapter. “It shows the professionals we look up to that we are extremely dedicated and are willing to go the extra mile to get that knowledgeable experience.”

This is the second consecutive year the Waynesburg Chapter sent members to work the event after establishing a professional relationship with Dan Ayer, president of PRSA Pittsburgh and co-chair of the 2014 Renaissance Awards, in the fall of 2012.

“Multiple members of PRSA Pittsburgh have had the opportunity to work with Waynesburg University students in the past,” said Ayer. “When it came time to look for help with our biggest and most high profile event, it was a no-brainer to ask Waynesburg.”

Because of the great impression the students made on Ayer at last year’s event, he contacted Richard Krause, chairman of the Department of Communication and faculty adviser to the Waynesburg University PRSSA, in the fall of 2013 to not only ask if his students could help work the event again, but also for an intern to take control of the call for entries and online entry submission process for the award categories.

Jordan Mitrik, a sophomore public relations major and historian of Waynesburg University’s PRSSA Chapter, worked alongside Ayer and his team prior to the ceremony. Mitrik managed the entry process, confirmed with the Pittsburgh agencies of their entries as well as categorized them into the appropriate award sections. Once completed, the work done by Mitrik was sent to PRSA Los Angeles to judge the entries and select the winners of the 2014 PRSA Renaissance Awards.

“The students from Waynesburg University were essential to the success of the Renaissance Awards,” said Ayer. “By knowing that we had such a dedicated and capable group to help, the board was able to focus on making the event even stronger this year.”

Not only did the students work the event, but they also had the opportunity to network with working professionals in the public relations field. Winters said getting the chance to extend the Chapter’s skills and interact with Waynesburg PRSSA’s parent Chapter at the Renaissance Awards was very beneficial.

“Working with our parent Chapter is extremely important to us, because the work we are doing as students is going to reflect how we act as professionals one day,” said Winters. “We strive to be like our parent Chapter professionals, so working alongside them is very beneficial to us.”

Chartered in 2010, the award-winning Waynesburg University Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America strives to prepare members for their future profession through experience, opportunity and achievement.

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Contact: Ashley Wise, Communication Specialist

724.852.7675 or awise@waynesburg.edu

]]>smcclintock@waynesburg.edu (Samantha McClintock)NewsFri, 31 Jan 2014 12:22:01 -0500Waynesburg’s Chapter of PRSSA Receives Star Chapter Awardhttp://www.waynesburg.edu/blog/waynesburg-s-chapter-of-prssa-receives-star-chapter-award
http://www.waynesburg.edu/blog/waynesburg-s-chapter-of-prssa-receives-star-chapter-awardWaynesburg University’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) was awarded the Star Chapter Award for meeting specific chapter and professional development goals. The chapter was one of 27 from around the country honored with the prestigious award.

“This is a huge step for us at Waynesburg PRSSA,” said Molly Winters, a junior public relations major and the president of Waynesburg’s chapter of PRSSA. “We are up to par with some of the best chapters around the country.”

A chapter must meet eight of the 10 Star Chapter requirements to earn the national award.

“The stars or requirements range from participating in Ethics Month, applying for national scholarships and holding an annual event,” said Winters. “We actually completed all 10 stars.”

In just its fourth year of existence, Waynesburg’s chapter of PRSSA is one of 328 other schools from around the country nationally associated with PRSSA, the student counterpart to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

“To do it in three years and to do it in a chapter with approximately 25 dues-paying members, I think is an extraordinary accomplishment,” said Richard Krause, the adviser for Waynesburg’s chapter of PRSSA and assistant professor and chair of the Department of Communication. “It speaks volumes to the dedication of our students.”

Krause said that while earning Star Chapter was an objective for he and his students, it was looked at as a long-term goal because of how new Waynesburg’s chapter is.

“To achieve that in year four accelerates the plan,” said Krause. “The goal is always to get better and this program has the potential to be outstanding, given our unique mission and our talented students.”

Moving forward, Waynesburg’s chapter of PRSSA is hoping to gain national accreditation for its student-run PR firm, Red Brick Communications.

“There is so much potential with this chapter to do some amazing things, and we just now have to work very hard to achieve those goals,” said Krause.